X. Sun, A. Wu, K. Tang. 2002. Transgenetic rice lines with enhanced resistance to the small brown planthopper. Crop Protection 21 (6): 511-514.

Abstract

Transgenic rice lines containing the snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) lectin gene (GNA) were investigated for the stability of expression of the GNA gene in the sixth (R6) generation. Western blot analysis revealed that GNA was stably expressed among the R6 individual plants at comparable levels with those from their parental lines. Insect bioassay tests of two independent transgenic rice homozygous R6 lines (Nos. 1 and 2) showed that both lines caused significant inhibition to the rice small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus, SBPH) by decreasing SBPH survival, overall fecundity and retarding its development. These SBPH-resistant lines have been incorporated into a rice insect resistance breeding program for the control of SBPH. This is the first report that transgenic rice lines expressing GNA conferred enhanced resistance to SBPH.

Keywords: host plant resistance to insect pests, rice small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus, China, snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) lectin gene